variants or meagre

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective meager differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of meager are scanty, scant, skimpy, spare, and sparse. While all these words mean "falling short of what is normal, necessary, or desirable," meager implies the absence of elements, qualities, or numbers necessary to a thing's richness, substance, or potency.

a meager portion of meat

When is scant a more appropriate choice than meager?

The synonyms scant and meager are sometimes interchangeable, but scant suggests a falling short of what is desired or desirable rather than of what is essential.

in January the daylight hours are scant

When would scanty be a good substitute for meager?

The words scanty and meager can be used in similar contexts, but scanty stresses insufficiency in amount, quantity, or extent.

supplies too scanty to last the winter

When can skimpy be used instead of meager?

While in some cases nearly identical to meager, skimpy usually suggests niggardliness or penury as the cause of the deficiency.

tacky housing developments on skimpy lots

When might spare be a better fit than meager?

The meanings of spare and meager largely overlap; however, spare may suggest a slight falling short of adequacy or merely an absence of superfluity.

a spare, concise style of writing

In what contexts can sparse take the place of meager?

The words sparse and meager are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, sparse implies a thin scattering of units.

a sparse population

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of meager And despite a meager count of new workers, California was again the No. 1 U.S. job market at year-end 2024 with 18.2 million employed, 12% of all US workers. Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 6 June 2025 Linda is a San Francisco transplant who makes $20 an hour moderating hate comments for a video-sharing platform and devotes as much of that meager salary as possible to exploring the aircraft dating pool by catching flights. Andrew R. Chow, Time, 6 June 2025 Opponents are hitting a meager .138 against him in 31 2/3 innings this season. Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 5 June 2025 The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) warned Palestinians, who endured an 11-week blockade on aid into the strip followed by a meager trickle of food and supplies in the past couple of weeks, to stay away from the GHF sites. Lucas Lilieholm, CNN Money, 4 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for meager
Recent Examples of Synonyms for meager
Adjective
  • This is an area of space where gas in the interstellar medium is relatively sparse, with an overall low density.
    Keith Cooper, Space.com, 16 June 2025
  • Seek out tacit knowledge that is not documented anywhere or is sparse but will be key in driving successful autonomous decisions. 4.
    Lucas Persona, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025
Adjective
  • High-Potential, Untapped Markets I’m inspired by what others ignore—those quiet gaps where attention is scarce but potential is high, like a niche market with growing demand but little innovation.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
  • Aside from mining for lunar water, these efforts might involve the extraction of an isotope called helium-3, which is scarce on Earth but is in relatively large abundance on the moon.
    Julian Dossett, Space.com, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • Orlik, who was seventy-seven, was in poor health and desperate to get his pictures back.
    Sam Knight, New Yorker, 17 June 2025
  • In past decades, this stage was easy to spot: clashing colors, poor makeup attempts, and wardrobes inspired by favorite TV stars.
    Dia Gallo, Parents, 17 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Meager.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/meager. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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